Dubai: Almost the entire city is pumped up for the first day of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) on Friday, and for good reason. But if you’ve always been a couch potato or have very little movement — like only when you commute to work and when you do daily chores — there’s no harm in taking it slow and steady on the first day to realistically turn it into a lifestyle, trainers say.
As the much-awaited, citywide fitness challenge kicks off on Friday, thousands of participants are expected to descend on Safa Park for the DFC’s Opening Weekend Carnival.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, launched the challenge on October 2 to motivate residents to boost their physical activity and stay fit to make Dubai one of the most active cities in the world.
Legendary footballer Rio Ferdinand and Rob “The Killer” Edmond from The Biggest Loser will be kick-starting the 30-day challenge. Scores of more activities and sports events are available for both young and old to choose from.
The plan is simple — commit to 30 minutes of physical activity for 30 days — and hopefully, it will become habit-forming and residents can eventually incorporate it in their lifestyle.
But how can we make this simple plan work for all — especially for those who have never tried a simple exercise or those who just don’t bother?
Gulf News spoke with personal trainers on their top tips in making this challenge doable for this segment of the population and the key, they said, is to go slow and steady.
“It’s easy to just hit the gym or running track and do intense activities on the first day because you’re so motivated, but you’ll end up burning yourself out right away if you have not done any sort of exercise in the past,” Robert Valmadrid, a personal trainer and fitness coach for 23 years, told Gulf News.
“That is OK for people who were already engaged in sports in the past who have muscle memory, but not for confessed couch potatoes.”
Valmadrid said finding a workout, exercise or sports that one loves and enjoys is the start.
Sharon Reid, fitness manager at Fitness First European Business Centre, agreed. She advised: “Stick to cardio, group exercise classes, personal training, boot camps, and weights you feel OK to work with and you won’t hurt yourself. Body weight exercises, training for all the following endurance, stamina, flexibility and speed, balance, strength, coordination, agility and accuracy,” Reid said.
Reid explained that it’s important to be focused and be systematic.
“Plan ahead what you will be doing — cardio, intervals, high intensity interval training, high volume, what weight you will be using such as body weight, machines, freestyle. The list is endless.”
While it’s tempting to do intense workouts like the rest of the crowd on the first day, Valmadrid said the point is not to outdo other people but one’s self.
“It is never wise to go beyond your limits on the first day. Once muscle soreness kicks in the next morning, it’s highly unlikely for people who are not really committed to continue. What they can do is once they feel the first burn in the muscles, they can stop. Then gradually progress every day.
“They will eventually feel the benefits of exercise — it boosts metabolism, improves blood circulation, releases happy hormones or endorphins — and this will take care of a lot of things. People will feel the difference between their once sluggish lifestyle and the benefits they’re reaping now and they will want to continue.”
Valmadrid said based on research and their personal experience, once their clients make it past the three-week survival rate, it’s likely that they will continue with their fitness regime. If they are able to do it consistently for three months, it’s more probable that they will do it for the rest of their lives.
Government entities join
Two more government entities have accepted the 30-day challenge — Dubai Municipality and Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).
Dubai Municipality will have fitness and sporting activities such as football, basketball, water basketball, gym practices, special fitness training, jiu jitsu coaching for people of determination and other staff, horse riding, tennis, walking, beach volleyball, and women’s triathlon.
Dubai Culture, on its part, will encourage stair climbs in the authority’s HQ and departments, football, yoga and volleyball sessions, and swimming for women. Dubai Culture will also be organising adventure sports in Hatta such as mountain biking and kayaking for employees who want to go the extra mile.
At A Glance
What: Dubai Fitness Challenge: Opening Weekend Carnival
When: October 20, 2pm onwards
Where: Safa Park
NOTE: Don’t forget to register at https://www.dubaifitnesschallenge.com/register/ to be able to avail of the full list of events and free sessions.
Top tips
Motivation and planning: It’s really important to know what type of training you are doing and WHY you are doing it.
Nutrition: Training is only the small part of the total outcome of training and getting results. Training works hand in hand with nutrition. Eating the correct amount of protein, carbs and fats will help the muscles to recover and adapt to the type of training you are doing and help to get your results quicker.
Hydration: When training, it is very important to stay hydrated because as you train your body, you will lose essential amino acids and salts, your muscles will start to get weaker and your performance will be affected.
Training routine: Stick to your training programme. Use wearable gadgets to monitor your heart rate, among others, and see how well you are doing. Train wisely and safely.
Personal training: Get the best advice possible from the experts. Personal trainers cover a wide variety of expertise to ensure clients’ safety and obtain the best results.
Source: Sharon Reid, Fitness First European Business Centre
